Lewis structures and molecular shapes (VSEPR)

A Lewis structure shows how the valence electrons in a molecule are arranged, as bonding pairs shared between atoms and lone pairs that belong to one atom, usually giving each atom a full outer shell of eight electrons (hydrogen needs only two). Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory predicts a molecule's shape: electron pairs around a central atom repel each other and spread as far apart as possible. This produces the common shapes linear (carbon dioxide, CO2), trigonal planar (boron trifluoride, BF3), tetrahedral (methane, CH4), trigonal pyramidal (ammonia, NH3, with one lone pair), and bent (water, H2O, with two lone pairs). Shape matters because it helps decide whether a molecule is polar and how it interacts with other molecules.

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